Troy, West Bloomfield state House districts bellwethers for GOP control

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Troy’s 41st, West Bloomfield’s 39th closely watched

By Charles CrummFor the Daily Tribune

Having a Republican state House and Senate has been key to Republican Gov. Rick Snyder’s ability to move changes through the legislative process in his attempts to reinvent Michigan at a pace he describes as in dog years.

Republicans hold a 64-46 majority in the 100-member House, and Democrats need to pick up 10 seats without losing any to retake the majority to become relevant in the legislative process next year. Republicans control the Senate, but they’re not up for re-election for another two years.

In Oakland County, two districts could serve as bellwethers on how well the Republican-controlled Legislature drew new district boundaries last year to ensure their continued majority.

One is the 41st District representing Troy and Clawson, a district that remained virtually unchanged under new maps produced after the last U.S. Census.

Another is the 39th District representing West Bloomfield and Commerce townships, which has been narrowly held by Democrats.

Howrylak, 38, is a certified public accountant. He has twice been the mayor pro tem in Troy, and has served on the Troy City Council with his opponent.

“There’s a distinctly different approach to our vision of state and local government,” he said. “My vision is we can all succeed through limited government, through empowering people and allowing folks to achieve the American dream.

“Government is not the solution,” Howrylak said. “It’s the people and the communities that are the solutions.

“A very clear distinction between me and my opponent is that she believes that government is the best answer to a lot of the problems that face this state and this country today, and I believe that less government is the solution.”

Kerwin, a 24-year Troy resident, is a development and special events director for the Troy Boys and Girls Club, and a consultant.

She was on the city council for four years and also did a stint as mayor pro tem as well as eight years on the Troy Board of Education. She was named Troy’s Distinguished Citizen this year.

She said her opponent has been too ideologically rigid while on the city council.

“It’s the varied experience I bring, not only in the life I’ve led but also my deep understanding of our nonprofit fabric,” Kerwin said. “I understand how we can do things without government.

“There has been cases where my opponent has been ideologically driven.”

Kerwin uses tax abatements for businesses coming into Troy as an example. She said her opponent votes against them every time.

“It is a tool,” Kerwin said. “It is not the perfect tool but it’s a tool of the reality and the new economy, and it’s one we may not like but we need to be able to use.

“And it’s that recalcitrance that I think doesn’t bode well for working in the legislative process where we have to look at all the solutions to the problems and not just eliminate some because we’re not comfortable.”

In the 39th District, Democrat Pam Jackson and Republican Klint Kesto want to replace state Rep. Lisa Brown, a West Bloomfield Democrat who opted to run for county clerk rather than seek a third term in the Legislature.

Brown has kept the seat through two elections, but by very narrow margins. New district boundaries shifted the district to a slightly more Republican base, leaving Jackson with a slightly uphill fight to keep the seat in the Democrats’ column.

Jackson, an Oakland Community College math professor ran unsuccessfully for the state Senate in 2010, losing to Sen. Mike Kowall. Kesto won a multi-way primary in August and is an assistant prosecutor in Wayne County.

Here’s a synopsis of the other state House races within Oakland County, the Democrat-leaning districts first, followed by the Republican-leaning districts:

District 26 — Rep. Jim Townsend, a Royal Oak Democrat, is seeking a second two-year term in a district representing Royal Oak and Madison Heights and viewed as a likely seat for Democrats. His opponents are Republican Mark Bliss and Libertarian James K. Young.

District 27 — Considered another likely seat for Democrats, incumbent Democratic Rep. Ellen Cogen Lipton, an attorney from Huntington Woods, seeks a third term against Republican Ezra Drissman and Libertarian John Wierzbicki.

District 29 — Still considered a solid seat for Democrats but now representing Pontiac, Auburn Hills, Sylvan Lake, Keego Harbor and Orchard Lake, Democratic Rep. Tim Greimel from Auburn Hills is seeking re-election after winning the seat in a special election. His opponent is Republican Brian Stebick, a regional director at CSB Ministries.

District 38 — Incumbent Republican Hugh Crawford from Novi seeks a third term in a Republican-leaning district against Democrat Chuck Tindall. The district represents Novi, Walled Lake, Lyon Township and part of Northville.

District 40 — An open seat vacated by term-limited Republican Rep. Chuck Moss from Birmingham, Republican Michael McCready, Democrat Dorian Coston and Libertarian Steve Burgis are on the ballot in a district representing Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township and part of West Bloomfield Township that is viewed as strongly Republican.

District 43 — Incumbent Republican Gail Haines from Lake Angelus seeks a third term against Democrat Neil Billington from Waterford in a new district considered to lean toward Republicans and representing Clarkston, Independence Township, Lake Angelus and most of Waterford Township.

District 44 — Incumbent Republican Eileen Kowall from White Lake Township seeks a third term in a solid Republican district against Democrat Tom Crawford and Libertarian Scott Poquette. The district represents Milford, Highland, White Lake, Springfield and part of Waterford townships.

District 45 — Incumbent Republican Tom McMillin seeks a third term against Democrat Joanna VanRaaphorst in a district representing Rochester, Rochester Hills and part of Oakland Township. It’s also considered a solid Republican district.

District 46 — Incumbent Republican Brad Jacobsen from Oxford seeks a second term against Democrat Daniel W. Sargent in a Republican-leaning district representing Brandon, Oxford, Addison, Orion and most of Oakland townships.

District 51 — Incumbent Republican Joseph Graves from Genesee County’s Argentine Township and Democrat Steven Losey from Linden are in a rematch for the seat Graves won earlier this year when former Republican Rep. Paul Scott was recalled from office by voters. The district represents Rose, Holly and Groveland townships plus parts of Genesee County. It’s considered a Republican-leaning district.